Method of proofing type slugs



y 3. H. J. MEGLEY 1,

METHOD OF PROOFING TYPE SLUGS "Filed Jan. 29, 1930 ffl Z tjjffvzwnzmJami/I'M Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARLEY J'.MEGLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS METHOD OF PROOFING TYPE SLUGS Thisinvention relates to a method of proofing or taking a trial impressionof a printing slug which is of a height less than type high or of acomposite deposit of such printing slugs.

As well known in the art, the printing slugs which are used on fiat bedpresses without base plates or the like are known as type high slugs.WVhere I use the expression 1 herein less than type high, I refer toprinting slugs which are of a height less than the height of the slugsabove referred to and particularly to slugs adapted for use onmultigraph or other rotary or drum type printing machines or which arecombined with fiat base plates or carriers when used on fiat bedpresses.

In my prior Patents No. 1,461,927 of July 17, 1923, and No. 1,601,221 ofSeptember 28,

1926, I have provided for forming integral lines of type or type slugsof a height less than type high and for forming retention means in theslugs for engagement with the chases, undercut rails or other retentionmeans in or on the cylinder, drum, flat base plate or other typecarrier.

The present invention relates in its more specific aspects to animproved method of proofing or taking a trial impression of type slugswhich are in use less than type high without arranging the less thantype high slugs upon a printing carrier and without engaging retentionmeans in the slugs with retention means on the carrier. If such slugsare placed upon the carrier with retention means in the slugs inengagement with retention means on the carrier in order to proof or takea trial impression of the type, considerable time and labor is involvedwhich the present invention reduces. This placing of such type slugs ona carrier provided with retention means is not only tedious and involvesconsiderable time and labor but requires carriers with chases or otherretention means for proofing the type and stillv further interferes withthe entire type handling process.

It is the obj eliminate these difficulties, more specifically it is theobject of this invention to reduce the ect of the present invention totime and labor involved in proofing type of this sort and it is a stillmore specific object to provide for proofing such type independently ofretention means thereon.

The proofing method of the present invention not only enables proofingless than type high slugs without setting them up in a chased carrierbut it enables proofing less than type high slugs in type high galleysor proof 7 presses now in common use.

One particular manner of carrying out the method of the presentinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it beingunderstood that the particular detailed disclosure herein isillustrative and for the purpose of enabling others to practice themethod of this invention upon expiration of any rights granted to thisapplicant hereon.

In the drawings 2- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of anexisting galley and proof press with which the present invention may beprac ticed;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the galleytray on the line 22 of Figure 1 andshowing the step of supporting thehead portionof the slug at substantially type high position upon thebase portion; I

Figure 8 shows diagrammatically the step of taking the impression;

Figure 4 shows the step of severing or removing the base portion fromthe head portion of the slug; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view partially in section andshowing the less than type high slugs in position upon aprintingcarrier.

Referring to the drawings, the galley or proof press shown in Figure 1comprises a stand 5 carrying a bed 6 upon which the galley tray 7 isadapted to be placed with a composite deposit of type slugs 8 therein asshown. The press illustrated is an existing proof press old and wellknown in the art and includes a pair of inking plates 9 and 10 supportedby the bed 6, one beyond each end of the tray 7. The inking roller 11 ismovable longitudinally over the upper printing faces 12 of the typeslugs 8for the therewith purpose of inking said faces and at each end ofits travel is movable over the inking plates 9 and 10 for the purpose ofinking the roller 11 therefrom. The press roll 13 is movablelongitudinally over the upper printing faces 12 of'the type slugs 8 forthe pur 'pose of taking. the trial impression, the roller necks 22. Theheight h ofthe printinghead of the slug is less than type high as thatexpression isused herein and understood in theart, and the height h, i.e., the combined height of the printing head 20 and base or gate21 issubstantially type high.

The outer face 12 of the printing head 20 is the printingface and itcarries the char-- acters, symbols, rules or other printing means ofwhich the letters 24 in Figure 5 are illustrative. The printing heads 20have longitudinal grooves, niches or other retention'means 25'forengagement with the cooperating retention means 26 on the printingcarrier 27-which is illustrative ofthe printing carrier of a multigraphor other-rotary or drum type printing'machine, as well as of a chasedfiat base plate or carrier for using the less than type high slugs en aflat bedpress.

The printinghead' 20 and connected gate or base'21" may be moulded as anintegral unit and where retention means 25 and weakened necks 22*areprovided, these may be former l in the moulding of the slug in themannerset out inmy priorpatents alreadyreferred' According to my'presentinvention, instead;

of separating the less than type high printing head from the base of theslug beforetakin I c a 1 Lb a proof or trial impression which wouldordinarily require engaging the slugs in the chased drum of the.multigraph or rotary printing machine or engagement with. a

moving the gates or bases 21.

65: type high heads20 up" to and" support same chased flat base plate orcarrier in order to' take a trial impression, I block the less than typehigh slugs 20 up to and'support saineat substantially'type high positionwithout plae-j ing the slugs onthe actual printingcarrier and take thetrial impression of the slugs thus supported. This is accomplishedbyarranging the slugs in the galley tray 7 in the" manner shown inFigure 2 and before re- ;The gates or bases 21 block the less with theprinting faces 12 at substantially type high position. A group of theseintegral line slugs maybe clamped firmly in the tray 7 in the desiredassembled order by a clamp screw 30, a slug clamping piece beingindicated at 32 between the inner end of the screw and the adjacenttype. slug, or one end-ofthe galley may have anopenend with a weightplaced against the deposit of slugs for holding them in place.

The" galley or galley tray 7 with the compositeldepositof. slugs thereinis then placed on the proof press as shown in Figure 1 and with the.galley inplace the inking roller 11 is moved, for example, from positionover theinkingplate 10' as shownin full lines in Figure 3' over theupperprinting faces 12 of the type slugs and into position in thecutaway'portion 15of the press roll 13 and over the other inking plate9. The upper printing faces 12 beingthus inked, the sheet to be printedis placed upon the upper printing faces 12 asindicatedat 35 in Figure 3and the press'roll 13 is then moved over thesheet 35 with anaccompanying turning movement?v in its journals-14c, the movement of:the roller 13 over the sheet 35 pressing this sheet against theinkedupper printing faces 12 and making theproof' or trial impression of thetype on the sheet 35.- Obviously in case oferror all that is necessaryis to remove the desired slug or slugs and replace same with correctslugs. Thisis all done without engaging retentionmeans inthe less'thanty-pe high slugswith retention means in a carrier and withoutdisengaging same in order to permit correction of the galley.

At thesame-time the combined height of the'printing head 20 andconnected base 21 being substantiallytype high and the'proof ing ortaking of the'trial" impression being done before removing the gate fromthe printing head, I am enabled to proof less thanltype' high-slugs intype high galleys. or

proof: presses which are'now in common use andwithout requiringchasedcarriers or the 1 like; V

Thereafter the gate or base 21. is severed or-removed from the printinghead 20 in any suitable or preferred manner. and the. less thantypehighprinting slug 2O isthen ready for use upon thechasedprintingfcarrier by placing the. slugs inthe'desire'd' order thereonwiththe'retention means 25 of the slugs in engagement withtheretentionmeans 26 on the carrier27. 1

The particular. manner of severing or removing the gate or'base21 fromthe lessthan type high head 20 isaimmaterial' and may vary widelywithinthe scopeof the present" invention.

In Figure-4 I have illustrated more or less 'diagrammatically theremoval ofthese gates orbases 21 in the manner of my'cop'endingapplication Serial No. 118,17 6, o

filed Jiinefiz l, I926} Accordingtto'theinvem tion of that applicationthe slug with its printing head and connected base is moved in a givenpath and the gate 21 is bodily severed in the movement of the slug inthat path as by means of a rotating knocker 40 which is timed to engagethe base 21 in the movement of the slug and the engagement of thisknocker 40 with the base of the slug severs the base 21 from theprinting 20 longitudinally along the weakened connecting neck 22 asindicated in dotted lines in Figure 4:.

In the illustrated embodiment of the application last referred to themovement of the slug is through guides 42 which are grooved at 43 andhave retention means 4:4: for engagement with the retention means 25 inthe slug, this engagement supporting the slug by suspension in itsmovement adjacent the knock-off or gate severing device 40.

The bases or gates 21 of the slugs are preferably of substantially thesame thickness as the heads 20 or a trifle thicker to prevent bucklingor tilting and to assure full printing engagement of the type faces withthe paper.

I claim 1 The method of taking a trial impression of a plurality ofprinting slugs which comprises forming said slugs of substantially typehigh height, with printing faces and with weakened portions within theirheight, grouping the slugs side by side and holding same together belowthe weakened portions whereby multilation of the slugs above theweakened portions by direct contact with the holding means is avoidedand at the same time mutilation of the slugs above the weakened portionsby pressure of the slugs upon each other is prevented, then taking atrial impression of the printing faces of the grouped slugs with saidslugs in substantially type high position and thereafter reducing theheight of said slugs to less than type high height by severing the slugsalong said weakened portions.

2. The method of taking a trial impression or proof of a plurality ofprinting slugs each comprising a head portion of a height less than typehigh and provided with a printing face and with a base portion connectedwith the head portion by a relatively fragile connecting neck, whichcomprises grouping the slugs side by side and supporting the headportions at substantially type high position upon said base portions,holding the slugs together below the head portions and below the fragileconnecting necks, taking a trial impression of the printing faces ofsaid head portions thus supported and held, and thereafter and beforeactual use of said printing slugs severing said head portions from saidbase portions along said connecting necks.

3. The method of taking a trial impression of a plurality of printingslugs each comprising a head portion of a height less than type high andprovided with a printing face and with a base portion connected with thehead portion by a relatively fragile connecting neck, said head portionhaving retention means for engagement with cooperating retention meansin a printing carrier which comprises grouping the slugs side by sideand supporting the head portions at substantially type high positionupon said base portions, holding the slugs together below the headportions and below the retention means thereon and also below thefragile connecting necks, taking a trial impression of the printingfaces of said head portions thus supported and held and thereafter andbefore actual use of said printing slugs severing said head portionsfrom said base portions 7 along said connecting necks.

4. The method of taking a trial impression of a plurality of printingslugs each comprising a head portion of a height less than type high andprovided with a printing face and with a base portion connected with thehead portion by a relatively fragile connecting neck, said head portionshaving grooves forming flanges along their opposite sides.

for engagement with cooperating retention means in a printing carrierwhich comprises grouping the slugs side by side and supporting the headportions at substantially type high position upon said base portions,clamping the slugs together with pressure exerted below the headportions and below the grooves and flanges on the head portions as wellbelow the fragile connecting necks, taking a trial impression of theprinting faces of said head portions thus supported and clamped togetherand thereafter and before actual use of said printing slugs severingsaid head portions from said base portions along said connecting necks.

5. In combination, a galley tray, a plurality of slugs grouped side byside and supported on their lower edges on the bottom of said tray, saidslugs each comprising a head portion of a height less than type high, aprinting face on the top of each head portion, grooves forming retentionflanges along the opposite sides of the head portions, a base portionintegrally connected with each head portion by means of a fragileconnecting neck and supporting the head portions with the printing facesat type high position, and

'means associated with said galley tray and

